Ccnrjj 


Duke  University  Libraries 

A  proclamation 
Conf  Pam  #490 


A  PR0CLAMA.T105. 

by  JOSEPH  E.  BROWN, 

Governor  of  Georgia. 
Tr>  ELIABLE  iaformalion  having  been  receiv-  i 
iVed  by  me,  that  there  is  at  present,  a  very  con- 
siderable uatiiber  of  deserters  and  stragj^lers  from 
the  military  service  of  the  Confederate  States, 
within  the  limits  of  this  State,  who,  alter  having 
volunteered  and  entered  the  service,  have  inglo- 
riously  abandoned  theircountry's  flag  and  their 
brave  comrades  in  arms  ;'aiid  it  being  reprt-sented 
that    numbers  of  th-se  deserter*,  enciuraged  by 


pnrcons  subject  to  their  commaDds,  to  be  Tigil&nf 
and  active,  in  arresting  all  persons,  who  may  be 
fonnd  within  their  respective  jurisdicti'^ns,  who 
belong  to  any  military  organization  in  the  service 
of  the  Confederate  States,  who  cannot  show  that 
they  have  the  legal  authority,  or  order,  of  their 
commanding  officers  to  justify  such  absence  :  and 
to  deliver  such  persons  when  arrested,  to  any  offi- 
cer commanding  any  company  or  regiment  in  the 
military  service  of  t!>is  Stxte  And  I  alsw  direct 
each  and  every  officer  in  commands  of  either  of 
the  two  regiments  now  being  lormed  for  State 
8er?ice,  orot  any  company  of  which  they  are  com- 
!  priced,  to  arrest  all  such  persons,  using  all  the 
1   force    necessary  for    that  purpose;  and  to  receive 


disloyal  ciliztius  in  the  mountains  of  Northeastern       .^. „^, .,..,..._,  .„ ^..., , .. 

Georgia,  have  associated  themselves  together  with   \  into  their  costody  all  such,  when  tendered  bj*  any 
arms  in    their  hands,  and    are  now   m    rebellion  /  n>ilitia  officer  or   sheriEfor  constable  of  this  State. 


against  the  authority  of  this  State  and  the  Confed- 
erate States,  robbing  loyal  citizens  of  their  prop* 
arty,  and  threatening  to  burn  iheir  dwellings  and 
do  other  acts  of  violence;  and  it  being  my  deter- 
mination, while  I  do  all  in  my  power  as  the  Exe- 
cutivo  of  the  State,  to  maintain  her  rights  and  l.er 
sovereignly  in  the  Confederacy  as  well  in  times  of 
revolution  as  in  times  of  peace,  to  exercise  all  the 
power  and  authority  vested  in  me,  to  cause  the 
Q  >veinment  and  people  of  the  State  to  do  their 
whole  duty  to  the  Confederacy,  and  to  the  peoplo 
of  the  sovereign  States  of  which  it  is  composed, 
and  not  only  to  respond  in  future, asl  h.iveinevery 


and  to  send  all  such  deserters  or  stragglers  nn  *er 
a  suffi  -ient  guard  to  General  Mercer  at  Savannah, 
or  to  Col.  G.  W.  Lee,  commanding  the  Post  at 
Atlanta,  as  throne  or  the  other  place  may  be 
I  nearest  and  most  convenient;  to  be  disposed  of  aa 
the  Secretary  of  War  may  direct.  I  also  direct 
a!  I  loyal  citizens  of  this  State  to  report  to  the  offi- 
cers above  meM(ioned,  or  to  the  Slate  troops  ia 
service,  the  names  of  all  persons,  as  well  officers 
Hs  privat*"*,  suspected  to  be  deserters,  or  to  have 
overstayed  the  time  !illow»d  by  thfir  furloughs, 
anil  to  render  to  th'^  State  officers  alt  the  ass:.<tH.iice 
in  their  pow.r  in  execniing  the  instinctions  herein 


instance  promptly  done  in  the  past,  to  every  call  ^  contained,  and  in  ridding' the  State  of  a:|  deserters 
made  upon  this  Stale  for  even  more  than  hti  just  4  or  stragglers  who  disgrace  her  soil.     And  I    also 

quotrt  nf  ri>Gn  aufl  uaaans.    to  uurry  nn  tho  w«»r    till    ^  -iT»nr»n4J     dioKrjal  vitiasrim    tU  r^BSf  fo  ttSrtinr    Oe- 

our  independence  is  fully  established. but  to  compel 
all  who  have  deserted  and  sought  refuge  wiinin 
this  State,  whether  they  be  Georgians  or  not,  to 
return  to  the  discharge  of  duty.  I  therefore  issue 
this  uiy  Proclamation,  commanding  all  persons  as 
well  officers  as  privates,  within  the  limit-*  of 
this  State,  who  have  been  actually  engaged  in  the 
military  service  of  the  Confederate  States,  .nnd 
who  have  deserted,  or  are  other  wise  absent  from  the 
respective  commands  to  which  they  belong,  with- 
out legal  furlough,  or  order  irorathe  oHic.ers  hav- 
ing the  right  to  command  them-,  or  who  have  over^ 
stayed  the  time  allowed  them  without  Providen- 
tial hindrance,  to  return  to  their  respective  com- 
mands imiuediulely  alter  the  pui)licatio>]  ot  this 
uotice;  and  I  invoke  the  paidon  ol  the  Couftideiata 
authorities  for  all  such,  who  return    to  their  duty    '"and   delivered  to  General  Mercer  at  Savannah,  or 


sertt-rs,  or  enconraj;e  de.'-eitiou,  or  to  commit 
further  acts  of  disloyalty,  or  hostility  to  this 
State  or  the  Confederate  States,  as  ihe  hiw  against 
treason  will  be  strictly  enforced  ugainst  all  who 
sul'ject  themselves  tu  its  penalties.  Any  person 
who  shall  commit  any  overt  act  of  treason,  by 
takii'g  up  arras  agains'  this  State,  or  the  Confed- 
erate Stat-is,  or  by  adhering  to  their  enemies,  or 
giving  them  aid  or  comfort,  will  be  arretted  and 
confined  in  the  common  jail  of  the  comity  where 
the  crime  is  committed,  or  if  the  jail  is  insufficient, 
or  their  is  danger  of  rescue,  in  suih  01  her  jail  of 
this  Stftte  as  the  pre.-iding  Judge  of  the  Circuit 
shall  direct.  And  all  persons  hereafter  encour- 
aging- desertion,  or  harboring  deserters,  or  com- 
mitting other  actM  of   disloyalty,  will  be   arrested 


within  twenty  days,  but  ask,  that  the  penalties  of 
tha  law  bo  rigorously  iullicted  upon  all  who  rt- 
fuso  80  to  do;  and  I  cnii  upon  the  good  people  of 
this  State  to  bring  to  bear,  the  powerful  influenco 
of  a  just  public  opinion  in  coudemnaliou  uf  all 
deserters  and  stragglers  no  matter  what  mjiy  be 
their  position,  wealth  or  influence.  And  1  also 
hereby  command  and  require  all  militia  officers  of 
this  State  with  the  forces  under  their  command  if 
accessary,  and  all  slioriffs  and  constables  with  all 


Col.  Lee  at  Atlanta  to  be  dealt  v/i  h  as  the  Confed- 
erate authoriti*!S  luiy  drect  under  the  laws  of 
force;  and  tlia  rules  and  articles  of   war. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  Gc'  at  Seal  of 
this'^tate  at  the  Capitol  in  Milledgcville, 
this  17{b'  day  uf  January,  iu  the  year  of 
our  Lord,  ibt)3. 

JOSEPH  E.  BROWN. 
By  the  Governor: 
N.  C  Uabnett,  Secrefarv  of  St^ttv. 


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